Prognostic significance of tumor necrosis in ovarian cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and interval surgical debulking

The objective of this study was to study the significance of tumor necrosis documented at the time of interval surgical debulking after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Retrospective chart reviews were carried out from 1997 to 2005 to identify ovarian cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Patients' demographics together with disease characteristics, treatment-related variables, and outcomes were recorded. Cox proportional hazard models were built to model time to progression using predictor variables such as age, cancer stage, tumor grade, residual disease, percentage change in CA125 level from baseline, and degree of necrosis in resected tumor specimens. One hundred one patients were included in the study. Optimal debulking was achieved in 74% of the patients. Cox regressions revealed three significant predictive variables of time to first progression: younger age (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.95, 95% CI 0.92-0.98, P= 0.004), residual disease (P= 0.048), and the absence/minimal tumor necrosis after three cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy (HR = 1.97, 95% CI 1.01-3.87, P= 0.048). The estimated median survival was 50.66 months (95% CI 46.12-55.20). The lack of or minimal tumor necrosis after neoadjuvant chemotherapy is an independent risk factor for recurrent disease.     

毕赤酵母表达阿片肽发酵条件的研究

研究了由毕赤酵母胞内两步发酵法表达活性小分子阿片肽的条件.正交实验确定最佳生长条件为:甘油24g/L、酵母膏11g/L、蛋白胨22g/L、YNB 20ml/L,初始pH5.0.菌体密度可达2.46;以单因素实验确定最佳表达条件为:起始菌体浓度2.44,初始pH 6.25,每10h流加0.6%甲醇(v/v),表达时间96h.阿片肽250ml摇瓶产量由196mg/L提高至496mg/L.     

离子液体促进氟罗沙星的合成

2,3,4-三氟苯胺经与EMME缩合、环合、氟乙基化、与N-甲基哌嗪缩合和水解反应制得氟罗沙星,前4步反应可被离子溶剂1-丁基-3-甲基咪唑六氟磷酸盐促进,如环合反应温度由300℃降至200℃,总收率61%.     

重组人胰高血糖素类多肽-1(7-36)对化学致糖尿病模型动物的降血糖作用

目的　本文研究了重组人胰高血糖素类多肽 1(7 36 )[rhGLP 1(7 36 ) ]对化学所致糖尿病模型动物的降血糖和促胰岛素分泌作用。方法　对四氧嘧啶型糖尿病小鼠及链脲霉素型糖尿病大鼠皮下注射不同剂量的rhGLP 1,分别于给药 4天后采血 ,收取血清 ,测定血糖及胰岛素值。结果　四氧嘧啶型糖尿病小鼠皮下注射 4 0、80 μg·kg-1rhGLP 1后 ,血糖值显著下降 (P <0 0 1) ,而 2 0 μg·kg-1剂量组则无显著性改变 ;链脲霉素型糖尿病大鼠皮下注射 2 8、5 6 μg·kg-1rhGLP 1后 ,血糖值显著下降 (P <0 0 5、P <0 0 1) ,而 14 μg·kg-1剂量组则无显著性改变。结论　rhGLP 1对实验动物部分 β细胞破坏的胰岛仍有促分泌胰岛素及降糖作用     

提高化疗强度对伴IKZF1基因缺失儿童急性淋巴细胞白血病预后的影响

目的 总结伴IKZF1基因缺失儿童急性淋巴细胞白血病（ALL）的临床特征并观察提高化疗强度对其预后的影响。方法 2015年12月至2018年2月间确诊并按照中国儿童白血病协作组-ALL 2008（CCLG-ALL 2008）方案规范治疗的ALL患儿共278例,根据有无IKZF1基因缺失将其分为IKZF1基因缺失组和IKZF1基因正常组,IKZF1基因缺失组均接受CCLG-ALL 2008高危（HR）方案治疗,IKZF1基因正常组则按临床危险度分型接受不同强度化疗,比较两组的临床特征及无事件生存（EFS）率。结果 278例患儿中共24例（8.6%）检出IKZF1基因外显子大片段缺失。IKZF1基因缺失组初诊时WBC ≥ 50×10⁹/L、BCR-ABL1融合基因阳性、诱导缓解治疗第15天微小残留病≥ 10%、微小残留病-HR、临床危险度-HR所占比例均高于IKZF1基因正常组（P < 0.05）。IKZF1基因缺失组3年EFS率（76%±10%）低于IKZF1基因正常组（84%±4%）,但差异无统计学意义（P=0.282）;其中,IKZF1基因缺失组-非HR（实际按CCLG-ALL 2008 HR方案化疗）的预计3年EFS率为82%±12%,低于IKZF1基因正常组-非HR（86%±5%）,但差异无统计学意义（P=0.436）。结论 伴IKZF1基因缺失的儿童ALL早期治疗反应更差,提高化疗强度可能改善其预后。     

Diagnostic reproducibility of tumour budding in colorectal cancer: a multicentre,multinational study using virtual microscopy

Puppa G, Senore C, Sheahan K, Vieth M, Lugli A, Zlobec I, Pecori S, Wang L M, Langner C, Mitomi H, Nakamura T, Watanabe M, Ueno H, Chasle J, Conley S A, Herlin P, Lauwers G Y & Risio M
(2012) Histopathology  61, 562–575 Diagnostic reproducibility of tumour budding in colorectal cancer: a multicentre, multinational study using virtual microscopy Aims: Despite the established prognostic relevance of tumour budding in colorectal cancer, the reproducibility of the methods reported for its assessment has not yet been determined, limiting its use and reporting in routine pathology practice. Methods and results: A morphometric system within telepathology was devised to evaluate the reproducibility of the various methods published for the assessment of tumour budding in colorectal cancer. Five methods were selected to evaluate the diagnostic reproducibility among 10 investigators, using haematoxylin and eosin (H&E) and AE1‐3 cytokeratin‐immunostained, whole‐slide digital scans from 50 pT1–pT4 colorectal cancers. The overall interobserver agreement was fair for all methods, and increased to moderate for pT1 cancers. The intraobserver agreement was also fair for all methods and moderate for pT1 cancers. Agreement was dependent on the participants’ experience with tumour budding reporting and performance time. Cytokeratin immunohistochemistry detected a higher percentage of tumour budding‐positive cases with all methods compared to H&E‐stained slides, but did not influence agreement levels. Conclusions: An overall fair level of diagnostic agreement for tumour budding in colorectal cancer was demonstrated, which was significantly higher in early cancer and among experienced gastrointestinal pathologists. Cytokeratin immunostaining facilitated detection of budding cancer cells, but did not result in improved interobserver agreement.     

PDE5 inhibitors enhance the lethality of standard of care chemotherapy in pediatric CNS tumor cells

We determined whether clinically relevant phosphodiesterase 5 (PDE5) inhibitors interacted with clinically relevant chemotherapies to kill medulloblastoma cells. In medulloblastoma cells PDE5 inhibitors interacted in a greater than additive fashion with vincristine/etoposide/cisplatin to cause cell death. Knockdown of PDE5 expression recapitulated the combination effects of PDE5 inhibitor drugs with chemotherapy drugs. Expression of dominant negative caspase 9 did not significantly inhibit chemotherapy lethality but did significantly reduce enhanced killing in combination with the PDE5 inhibitor sildenafil. Overexpression of BCL-XL and c-FLIP-s suppressed individual and combination drug toxicities. Knockdown of CD95 or FADD suppressed drug combination toxicity. Treatment with PDE5 inhibitors and chemotherapy drugs promoted autophagy which was maximal at ~12 h post-treatment, and in a cell type-dependent manner knockdown of Beclin1 or ATG5 either suppressed or enhanced drug combination lethality. PDE5 inhibitors enhanced the induction of chemotherapy-induced DNA damage in a nitric oxide synthase-dependent fashion. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that the combination of PDE5 inhibitors with standard of care chemotherapy agents for medulloblastoma represents a possible novel modality for future treatment of this disease.     

Is two days of intermittent energy restriction per week a feasible weight loss approach in obese males? A randomised pilot study

Aim

The 5:2 diet (two non‐consecutive days of 2460 KJ (600 calories) and 5 days of ad libitum eating per week) is becoming increasingly popular. This pilot study aimed to determine whether the 5:2 diet can achieve ≥5% weight loss and greater improvements in weight and biochemical markers than a standard energy‐restricted diet (SERD) in obese male war veterans.

Methods

A total of 24 participants were randomised to consume either the 5:2 diet or a SERD (2050 KJ (500 calorie) reduction per day) for 6 months. Weight, waist circumference (WC), fasting blood glucose, blood lipids, blood pressure and dietary intake were measured at baseline, 3 and 6 months by a blinded investigator.

Results

After 6 months, participants in both groups significantly reduced body weight (P = <0.001), WC (P = <0.001) and systolic blood pressure (P = 0.001). Mean weight loss was 5.3 ± 3.0 kg (5.5 ± 3.2%) for the 5:2 group and 5.5 ± 4.3 kg (5.4 ± 4.2%) for the SERD group. Mean WC reduction for the 5:2 group was 8.0 ± 4.5 and 6.4 ± 5.8 cm for the SERD group. There was no significant difference in the amount of weight loss or WC reduction between diet groups. There was no significant change in diastolic blood pressure, fasting blood glucose or blood lipids in either dietary group.

Conclusions

Results suggest that the 5:2 diet is a successful but not superior weight loss approach in male war veterans when compared to a SERD. Future research is needed to determine the long‐term effectiveness of the 5:2 diet and its effectiveness in other population groups.